This document discusses strategies for building a diverse workforce through the case study of the Ethnic Community Services Co-operative (ECSC) in Australia. ECSC aims to support culturally diverse communities and currently employs 29 permanent multilingual staff who speak 28 languages. Their Bicultural Support program employs over 400 casual bilingual workers in 110 languages to support children in early childhood services. ECSC focuses on organizational culture and values, structure, policies, and recruitment and training to develop a diverse workforce and support multicultural communities.

1. Building a diverse
workforce: Strategies
at the organisational
and program level
Stephanie De Lorenzo & Meni Tsambouniaris
Ethnic Community Services Co-operative

2. Ethnic Community Services Co-operative
Our vision is that every
Australian from a
culturally and linguistically
diverse background has
the opportunity to
participate fully in
Australian society and
receive services that are
relevant and appropriate
to their needs.

3. Ethnic Community Services Co-operative
What we do for:
Individuals and families
•Linking individuals to services
•Information and support groups
•Individual advocacy
Communities
•Community development and capacity
building
•Providing a workplace where workers and
volunteers can learn, innovate and grow
Government and sector support
•Collaborating with our members and
other organisations
•Providing specialist advice,
information, training and resources to
services
•Systemic advocacy

4. Building a diverse workforce:
A case study on ECSC
Stephanie De Lorenzo
CALD Capacity Building Coordinator

5. ECSC today: workforce composition
Permanent staff
•Executive Director
•Programs Manager
•6 Project Coordinators
•RTO Coordinator
•16 Project Officers
•4 Admin staff
Casual staff &
volunteers
•NSW: ~400 Bicultural
Support Workers
•27 Multicultural Respite
Workers (Inner West)
•Volunteers/ Student
placements

6. ECSC today: workforce composition
28 languages
spoken by the
29 permanent
ECSC staff

7. ECSC today: workforce composition
[100% of casual staff are bilingual or multilingual]

9. Building a diverse workforce
“Our achievements come from
having had strong, consistent and
passionate leadership,
a work culture that embraces
innovation and flexibility,
and strong and genuine ties with our
members and with the communities
that we seek to support.”
Mirella Di Genua
Chairperson, ECSC Board of Directors
The ECSC Case Study:
1.Organisational culture and
values
2.Structure
3.Policies and procedures
4.Recruitment and training

10. ECSC: Culture and Values

11. ECSC: structures and practices
• Organisational structure:
What does it mean to be
incorporated as a
Co-operative?
• Polices and procedures
• Governance
• Members and networks

12. ECSC: staff recruitment and training
• What we look for when we recruit
• Using volunteer and student placement
workforce to fill gaps
• How we draft and advertise new
positions
• Induction and orientation
• Ongoing support and professional
development
• The establishment of our RTO and
training program

13. Building a diverse workforce:
A program level case study of
Bicultural Support.
Meni Tsambouniaris
Bicultural Support Program Coordinator

14. Bicultural Support - overview
• Bicultural Support is a unique, hands on, human
resource.
• We provide eligible early childhood services with
access to a qualified bilingual/bicultural
workers to enrol, settle and assist with the
better inclusion of CALD children.
• For the last 33 years, the Bicultural Support
program has facilitated the inclusion of CALD
diverse children and families in early childhood
services across NSW.

15. Bicultural Support-An Employment
Program
• Bicultural Support has approximately 400
casual Bicultural Support Workers across
NSW representing 110 different languages,
including Indigenous languages.
• There are 20 regional permanent part time
and casual Bicultural Support Consultants.
• The Project is administered by a Full Time
Program Co-ordinator, 5 Part Time Project
Officers and 2 Accounts/Administrative
Officers.

16. Implementation Of Bicultural Support
• Based on a funding formula, Bicultural Support in NSW
places between 65-120 Bicultural Support Workers in the
field monthly, each working an average 12 hours per
allocated visit.
• Each month, this equates to up to 120 Workers receiving
employment, 120 target children receiving support and 120
services receiving 1440 hours of bilingual/bicultural input.

17. Recruitment Of Bicultural Support
Workers
When recruiting, Bicultural Support
looks for people who:
•speak a language other than English
•have a good command of the English language
•have an Indigenous, CALD or refugee
background
•have experience and/or qualification in
Children’s Services (Cert III minimum)
•hold a current NSW Working With
Children Check

18. The Impact Of Bicultural Support
- for Services
• Promoted diversity, acceptance & inclusion for all children in care. Bicultural
Support Workers & Consultants are ambassadors for Cultural Competence
• Children struggling with their cultural identity have developed an increased pride
in their cultural heritage & self esteem;
• Refugee families have felt an improved sense of security & cultural acceptance at
their Service through the presence of Bicultural Support Workers;
• Fostered & adopted children have been given the opportunity to maintain their
cultural identity & home languages at the Centres;
• Improved communication between staff & CALD, Indigenous & refugee parents;
• Ensured smooth transition and settling in
of CALD, Indigenous & refugee children
in care.

19. The Impact Of Bicultural Support
- for Workers
Success Stories: Where Are They Now?
Quite often we farewell Bicultural Support Workers from the Program as they
move on to bigger and better things including:
•Co-ordinator Migrant Resource Centre
•Family Day Carers, Co-ordinators and Children’s Services Trainers
•Owner/Directors of Child Care Centres
•Project Officers with the Bicultural Support Program
•Community Liaison Officers – Department Of Education
•University Lecturer (UWS)
•Inclusion Support Facilitators

20. Impact Of Bicultural Support
– for the child
Quote from a Child – to Their Bicultural
Support Worker:
“It is good that you can
understand me, because
with the others, I have to talk
very slowly so they can
understand…”

21. Where to From Here?
• In NSW Bicultural Support is highly
regarded as a model of good practice,
with a pool of Bilingual/Bicultural Workers
that can be trained to provide similar
support in other sectors.
• ECSC has begun expanding the use of
our Bicultural Support Worker pool –
including offering for-fee services to non
eligible children’s services and early
intervention services.
ECSC Staff with Megan Mitchell,
National Children’s Commissioner

22. Building a diverse workforce:
Lessons for the disability sector
Stephanie De Lorenzo
CALD Capacity Building Coordinator

23. Lessons for the disability sector
• The NDIS should result in an increase in clients –
and an increase in culturally diverse clients.
• Disability sector already familiar with principles of
access and equity and human rights.
• To build and harness a diverse workforce you need
to do more than just hire some bilingual staff.
• Do you need to make changes to your recruitment
processes? Policies and procedures?
• Make use of existing resources

24. Thank you!
meni.t@ecsc.org.au
stephanie.d@ecsc.org.au